~ TERATO~ prefix
id+ | WONDER |
id+ | EXPRESSION OF DIVINE POWER |
note IMBUED WITH RELIGIONS IMPLICATIONS
gr TERAS or
TERATOS for "DEFORMITY" thus
~ TERATOGEN id+ | AN AGENT CAPABLE OF ALTERING
NORMAL PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT |
~ TERATOMA med> TERATO and OMA = TUMOR to denote
A NEOPLASM WHICH FROM A MIXTURE OF
TISSUES AND STRUCTURES NOT NATIVE TO THE SITE
AND DERIVED FROM ALL THREE EMBRYONIC LAYERS
ENDODERM or ENTODERM ECTODERM and MESODERM
~ TERATOGEN id+ | A SAME SINGLE AGENT CAN BE
TERATOGENIC
MUTAGENIC and
CARCINOGENIC
~ TERATOGENIC id+ | WANDER PORTENT |
gr GENNAN = ENGENDER PRODUCING
~ TERATOLOGY med> SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE FOCUSED ON THE
STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC
CAUSES OF PRENATAL DEVELOPMENTAL ALTERATIONS
see> BIRTH DEFECT
~ TERATOTHANASIA gr THANATOS = DEATH MORTAL
hx> IDEA COINED by see> Josef WARKANY [#]
id+ | NATURAL or SPONTANEOUS PROCESS
ENDING IN ABORTION |
note TERATOGENS
NAME FOR AGENTS THAT CAN INDUCE
MALFORMATIONS and in BROADER TERMS
ANY ANOMALIES IN THE DEVELOPING EMBRYO or FETUS
from DEATH see> TERATOTHANASIA
to "MILD" FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS like
LEARNING DISABILITIES
see> BIRTH DEFECT
examples of common teratogens include
see> ALCOHOL more below
see> THALIDOMIDE
see> RADIATION see> X- RAYS
see> METHYLMERCURY see> MERCURY
hx> THE ABOVE WAS A COMPONENT OF TEETHING POWDERS
A PIONEER OF SCIENTIFIC TERATOLOGY see> WARKANY
SHOWED THAT MERCURY WAS THE CAUSE OF
see> ACRODYNIA
see> MINAMATA
see> POLLUTION
see> ECOLOGY
med> NEARLY 20% OF HUMAN PREGNANCIES END IN RECOGNIZED
MISCARRIAGES MANY MORE END IN UNRECOGNIZED ABORTIONS
hx> THE IDEA THAT THE FETUS COULD BE MALFORMED BY
ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS WAS REJECTED FOR CENTURIES
IN 1961 WHEN "CONTERGAN" see> THALIDOMIDE
WAS VIGOROUSLY MARKETED IN GERMANY ENGLAND AND JAPAN
AN EPIDEMIC OF MALFORMED INFANTS FOLLOWED
STUDIES SHOWED THAT THALIDOMIDE COULD BE LETHAL OR
CAUSE SEVERE MALFORMATIONS IN THE UNBORN
IN THE USA CIRCUMSTANCES DELAYED THE FDA APPROVAL FOR
THALIDOMIDE AND NO EPIDEMIC WAS NOTED
THESE EVENTS DESTROYED THE DOGMA THAT THE UTERUS WAS
A "SACRO SANCTORUM" IN WHICH THE FETUS WAS SAFE FROM
ENVIRONMENTAL HARM THIS DOGMA PROVIDED THE RATIONAL
FOR OTHER "LOGICAL" IDEAS HOLDING THAT BIRTH DEFECTS
WERE "GENETIC" AND REFLECTED PARENTAL "FLAWS" WHICH
PROVIDED THE SUPPORT AND POLITICAL WILL FOR
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INTERVENTION
ENTHUSIASTIC SCIENTISTS AND SOME GENETICISTS ADAPTED
"RACIAL" PRECONCEPTIONS INTO LEGISLATION AND POLICIES
ENFORCED BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF CIVILIZED NATIONS
INCLUDING GERMANY USSR ENGLAND USA see> EUGENICS
note IN THE USA STERILIZATION OF THE "RETARDED" WAS
IMPLEMENTED UNTIL RECENT TIMES
EXAGGERATED SOCIAL APPLICATIONS OF INCOMPLETE AND ERRONEOUS
INTERPRETATIONS OF CAUSES OF BIRTH DEFECTS DIMINISHED THE
SOCIAL STANDING OF THE SCIENCE OF GENETICS
note WHEN PARENTS OF DEFORMED OR MALFORMED CHILDREN
ARE NOT GIVEN ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC OR
RATIONAL REASONS THE VACUUM IS FILLED BY ALTERNATIVE
EXPLANATIONS AND FEELINGS OF GUILT PANIC etc
note GENETIC COUNSELING CONCERNING MALFORMED CHILDREN IS OF
LIMITED VALUE UNLESS PARENTAL IDEAS AND IDEATIONS
CAN BE GRASPED UNDERSTOOD AND AMELIORATED
note WHILE EMBRYONAL or FETAL EXPOSURE TO THALIDOMIDE
VIRTUALY INDUCES ANOMALIES IN 100% OF INSTANCES
EXPOSURE TO ALCOHOL INDUCES PROBLEMS SELECTIVELY AND
OF DIVERSE SEVERITY
note FAS or FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME and
FAE for FETAL ALCOHOL EFFECTS
note THE MAJOR SIGNS OF FAS and FAE include
GROWTH FAILURE BEFORE AND AFTER BIRTH
DEVELOPMENTAL FAILURES PARTICULARLY OF THE
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM different in the
first trimester notable are
MALFORMATION as in CORPUS CALLOSUM DEFECTS
second trimester NERVE DEFETS
third trimester ALTER NEUROLAL CONNECTIONS and
KILL NEURONES as in
FRONTAL LOBE sug> MICROCEPHALY
note MENTAL SUBNORMALITY and
MICROCEPHALY or
SMALL CEPHALON or HEAD are major malformations
as are STRUCTURAL DEFECTS OF THE HEART
see> LYSENKO see> LENZ see> MULLER see> WARKANY
see> GE see> GEA see> GENIUS see> GENETIC see> EUGENICS
see> MONSTER
cont> in addenda under development see> WARKANY